Machine for producing cut and uncut pile



Nova 3, 1964 C. AJWBR'YANT MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CUT A ND UNCUT PILE Original Filed Jan. 7, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet l CLIFFORD ALDINE BRYANT Nov. 3, 1964 c. A. BRYANT MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CUT AND UNCUT FILE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 7, 1960 CLIFFORD ALDINE BRYANT Nov. 3, 1964 c. A. BRYANT MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CUT AND UNCUT FILE Original Filed Jan. 7. 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 & 76. 9.

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l Palh afLaop-pi/e Looper Needx s Vertical S Q awe/Mm p 90 CLIFFORD ALDINE BRYANT WWW- United States Patent 3,155,059 MACHENE FGR PRODUCING CUT AND UNCUT FILE Ciilford Airline Bryant, Dalton, Ga, assignor to Cabin Crafts, Inn, Daiton, Gm, a corporation of Georgia Griginal application Jan. 7, wet Ser. No. 1,037, new

Patent No. 3,132,612, dated May 12, 1964. Divided and this application Mar. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 265,279

6 (:iaims. (Cl. 112-79) This application is a division of Serial No. 1,037 filed January 7, 1960, now Patent No. 3,132,612, entitled Machine for Producing Cut and Uncut Pile Fabrics.

This invention relates to an improved machine for making pile fabrics by formation of loops or tufts in a cloth or backing material. More particularly, it relates to a machine for producing tufted fabrics in which the pile is cut or uncut over the whole surface of the fabric or in selected areas thereof as may be desired or in accordance with any chosen pattern.

A machine to produce cut and uncut pile at will in selected areas of the same article without alteration of the machine or in accordance with a pattern and without the need for changing any of the tufting instruments or elements of the machine and while the machine runs continuously is disclosed and claimed in a copending application Serial No. 1,037, filed January 7, 1960, now Patent No. 3,132,612, of the applicant herein, entitled Machine for Producing Cut and Uncut Pile Fabrics. Such machine is able to produce cut and uncut pile over the surface of the tufted article in accordance with a pattern which may be of irregular or any desired configuration, form or shape, as no limitations are imposed by the machine itself as to the nature of the pattern which is to appear in the manufactured article.

In such a machine, there are two loopers adapted to cooperate with each needle, the loopers rock toward and from the needle path on each reciprocation of the needle, the needles are tiltably mounted, and selecting means causes cooperation between said needle and one or the other of said loopers, the selection being made automatically in accordance with a pattern while the machine is running, all as herein described.

It is an object of this invention to incorporate in a machine of the above type means to prevent abutting or touching of tips of the cut-loop and uncut-loop forming loopers as they reach the full extent of their rocking movement towards each other.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an end elevation view diagrammatically illustrating a machine of the type referred to above.

FIG. 2 is an elevational section view through the machine of FIG. 1 illustrating one of the rocking mechamsrns.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 taken in a plane parallel to, but spaced from, the plane of FIG. 2 and illustrating another of the rocking mechanisms.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the needle tilting mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section view showing the needle tilting mechanism of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an elevation view partly broken away illustrating the pattern drum and associated parts.

PEG. 7 is a detail view illustrating the cut and uncut pile produced by the machine.

FIG. 8 shows in side elevation, diagrammatically, iniproved mechanism according to this invention, for moving the uncut-loop forming looper laterally to avoid hitting the cut-loop forming loopers.

0 ing a bar 38 (see FIG. 1).

ice

FIG. 9 is an end view, partly in section, of the mechanism of FIG. 8.

MG. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing the paths of the loopers with reference to the needle when tilted and when not tilted.

' Referring to the drawings, the invention is applied to a tufting machine having a work support or table It) over which the work or backing sheet C of cloth or other suitable material is moved during the tufting operation. Above the table is a needle-supporting bar member 12 on which are tiltably mounted a plurality of needles N, as hereinafter more fully described. The needle bar is reciprocated vertically by two or more vertical thrust shafts 14 to which the bar is attached at each end and along the bar, depending upon its length and the number of needles it carries.

The thrust shafts 14 are suitably and conventionally guided in their reciprocation by guides 15 in a head or frame 16 fixedly mounted over the table 10. A main drive shaft 20 rotatably mounted horizontally in the head 16 has an eccentric 2.2 thereon to which is Pivotally connected the upper end of a connecting rod 24 causing reciprocation of the crank whose lower end is pivotally connected to the needle-bar-thrust shaft or shafts 14 whereby the needle bar is reciprocated vertically above the table 10. It will be understood that the means described for reciprocating the needle bar is exemplative and any of a number of means now in common use for reciprocating the needle bar of tufting machines can be used with equal satisfaction.

Mechanism T 0 Form Loop Pile Beneath the table are three horizontal parallel rock shafts 36), it? and 50 supported for rotation in hearings in pairs of arms 32, 42 and 52 which are integral with and extend under the table 10 at spaced points along the shafts 30, 4h, 50, only one arm of each pair being visible. The shaft is rocked by a lever arm 33 (FIG. 3) extending radially therefrom and pivotally connected to a connecting rod 34 reciprocated vertically by an eccentric rod 35. The eccentric rod 35 has a loop on its upper end in which rotates an eccentric 36 on the main drive shaft 26.

Mounted on the rock shaft 30 are two or more horizontally spaced identical looper supporting arms 37 carry- Fixedly mounted in the bar are a series of identical looper elements 39 arranged in spaced side by side relation in a horizontal row, there being a looper to cooperate with each needle. The looper elements themselves may be of usual or known form.

Mechanism To Form Cut Pile Rock shafts 40 and 50 are rocked in unison by radial arms 41 and 51 (see FIG. 2) extending from shafts 40 and 58, respectively, and linked together by a link 54 pivotally connected at its ends to said arms 41 and 51. Rock shaft 40 is rocked by a lever arm 43 radially extending therefrom and pivotally connected with a connecting rod 44 which in turn is pivotally connected with the lower end of an eccentric rod 45. The upper end of the eccentric rod 45 has a loop in which rotates an eccentric 46 on the main drive shaft 2%. Thus, eccentric 46 is responsible for the rocking of both shafts 4d and 50.

Mounted on the rock shaft 40 are one or more horizontally spaced identical looper-supporting arms 47 carrying a horizontally extending block 4%. Fixedly mounted in the block are a series of looper elements 49, there being a looper to cooperate with each needle. Like the loopers 39, the loopers 49 are horizontally spaced in a row. The loopers 49 extend toward the needles in a direction opposite to the loopers 39 and both are positioned to catch the yarn when the needle is down. A set of knives 53 cooperates with the loopers 4-9, one knife cooperating with each looper to make cut pile. The knives and looper elements 49 per so may be of common or usual form. Mechanism is provided, as hereinafter described, to tilt each needle or not, individually, so that yarn'brought down by the needle will be caught by one or the other of the looper elements 39 or in order that cut or uncut pile may be made at will.

The knives 53 are mounted in spaced relation in a horizontal series on a bar or block 54 and extend upwardly in position'to lie individually alongside the individual loopers 49 and to slide on the side surfaces thereof like a scissor blade as the bar 54 is rocked. The rocking of the bar and movement of the knives are caused by mounting the bar on laterally supporting arms SSextending from the rock shaft The motions of the loopers 49 and knives '53 and needle are coordinated so that the loops are cut after the loops are caught on looper 49 and the needle has risen.

For making uncut pile, loops are normally caught by the loopers 39; that is to say, the loopers 39 travel over to, or across, the vertical path of the needles N when the needles travel straight up and down in an exactly vertical plane.

Needle Tilting Means In order to take needles individually or several adjacent needles as a unitary group out of the path of motion of the loopers 39 and thus prevent the yarn from being caught by them and at the same time carry the yarn into the path of action of the other loopers 49, an individual needle or a group unit may be caused to tilt individually. For that purpose, identical individual mechanisms'acting on each needle holder are individually actuated automatically according to a pattern. The needles may be mounted singly, or in pairs as shown, or in larger groups, in tiltable holders 6%) (see FIGS. 4 and 5) which are carried pivotally on a horizontal shaft 62 supported in the vertically-reciprocating needle-supporting bar 12. The needles N extend downwardly from the bottom faces of the holders 6t) which extend horizontally. The holders may be cast or machined parts with a head portion 61, in which the needles are mounted side-by-side, and an arm portion 63 extending laterally out of the plane of reciprocation of the needle bar 12.

A series or" slots are provided in the needle supporting bar 12 in which the tiltable needle holders are inserted. The shaft 62 is passed through the heads 61 of the tiltable holders 60 as it is inserted in the needle bar 12.

In the upper face of each holder, a vertical spring seat is bored in which sits the lower end of a coiled compression spring 64 whose upper end presses against the top surface of the holder-receiving slots in the needle bar 12. The compression springs 64 are located to urge the holder to maintain the needles vertically, normally, with the top face of the holder flush against the needle bar 12. to aiiord a firm support for the needles during their insertion into the cloth.

To tilt the needle holders and needles, 3. series of needle tilt levers 79 are provided in the form of flat bell-cranks, there being one lever for each of the holders 69. These levers are mounted in a row on a fixed horizontal shaft 72 mounted in an oscillatory part on the machine adjacent to, but out of the path of reciprocation of the needle bar. A series of slots are provided in said part for the reception individually of the levers '70 with one leg 71 of each lever extending vertically and being tiltable into engagement with the needle tilt arms 6!).

Tilting of the levers 749 is accomplished by individual pneumatic cylinders 76 which are selectively actuated by opening and closing air valves operated by electric solenoids which are, in turn, selectively energized by a pattern drum, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The horizontal leg 73 of each bell-crank lever 70 ex tends away from the needle bar 12 and has loosely con nected to it on its end as by a pin-and-slot connection '74, the lower end of a piston rod 75. Each piston rod extends downwardly from a vertically mounted pneumatic cylinder '76 in which the piston is normally pressed upwardly by a coiled compression spring (not visible) within the cylinder, in usual fashion.

As the air pressure is admitted to each cylinder through their individual compressed air pipes 7% connecting with the cylinder at its top, the piston and piston rod are pressed down causing pivoting of the needle tilt lever '70 counterclockwise (referring to FIG. 5) and pressing its vertical leg 71 into the path of its tiitable needle holder 69. Hence, as the needle bar 12 descends, the needle holders 6!) are tilted into the dotted position of FIG. 5 by the levers 76 so that when the needle has penetrated the cloth, it is positioned at a small angle approximately 15 more or less from vertical, and-puts the loop of yarn in the path of the looper 49 by which it is caught.

Conventional gearing drives the rock shafts 4t and 50 for the loopers 49 and knives 53 so that the knives operate once for each looper oscillation- These motions are coordinated through the gearing with the needle reciprocations to give the following sequence:

The needles descend and penetrate the cloth, the loopers 49 move to the right (referring to FIG. 1) to catch the yarn loops from the needles, the needles rise. The knives 53 move to the left to cut the loops that were caught on the loopers 49. The sequence is then repeated.

The sequence for the loopers 39 is similar except that the knives and their operation are absent, and those loopers move to the left.

It is necessary that the tilting of the needles for formation of cut pile be in the direction of movement of the cloth over the table of the machine. It is also necessary that the loopers 49 and their knives 53 be on the side of the needle from which the cloth is receding because the loops caught upon the looper' 49 are cut an can be freed therefrom, while the loops caught on the looper 39 are not cut and could not be freed if that looper 39 were on the receding side. The looper 39 must be on the advancing side of the needle.

In order that a loop which is to be cut to form cut pile shall be spaced exactly the same distance from the previous uncut loop as the uncut loops are spaced from each other (or, in other words, to have the loops throughout the length of the carpet to be equally spaced, whether they are cut or uncut), it is desirable for the needle to start tilting, whenever cut pile is to be formed, just after it starts to enter the cloth. Bearing in mind that the cloth is moving continuously and that as the needle descends, it tilts more and more, it will be understood that the tilt follows the cloth movement after having penetrated at a point exactly spaced from the previous penetration when the previous loop was formed. If the needle was fully or substantially tilted before starting to penetrate the cloth, the penetration would be too close to the previous uncut loop and would give an uneven appearance to the fabric.

Pattern Control for the Tilting Means Selection of needles to be tilted is done by a pattern drum which controls energizing or deenergizing of electrical devices selectively, to operate selected pneumatic cylinders 76 and to tilt selected needles.

Admission of air to each cylinder 76 is controlled by conventional, individual electric solenoid operated air valves 77 in each air line 78 from the compressed air source 79 to each cylinder 76. Since the solenoid valves are available on the market and can be purchased as complete units, their structure and operation need not be further described.

The wire terminals of solenoid valves 77 are connected electrically as usual to a suitable common source 81 of electric current; and each valve is also electrically connected individually to one finger in a row of contact fingers 32 which are insulated from one another and rub over a rotating drum 89 which is likewise connected to the commom or ground side of the circuit. A pattern having conductive portions corresponding to the areas where cut pile is to appear in the rug and non-conducting portions where uncut pile is to appear is laid on or afiixed to the surface of the drum so that as the drum rotates certain fingers contact with the conductive portion causing energization of the solenoids connected to those fingers and opening of air valves controlled by those solenoids, thereby to actuate certain pistons and tilt individual needles.

Rotation of the drum is regulated and determined in accordance with the speed of production of a given length of the rug or tufted article which the pattern is to cover, one revolution taking place during the production of said given length.

In this manner, the pattern laid on the drum determines the pattern which will appear in the finished rug or other tufted article. Clearly, the number of patterns which can be created by a machine embodying this invention is infinite. Moreover, the only change that need be made when an article having one pattern is to be made differently than a previous article is to place a new pattern upon the drum. This can be easily and quickly accomplished after the pattern has been prepared. The versatility and flexibility and use of the present invention is an outstanding characteristic and advantage.

Since the number of needles can be increased or decreased depending on the demands or requirements of particular usage, the machine is readily adaptable to use in making narrow or wide fabrics.

Provision for Lateral Shifting of Uncut Pile Loopers When the loopers are mounted as described above, there is a tendency for their points to abut or interfere with one another. Although this can be overcome or avoided to some extent by making the looper points thinner, the lives of the loopers are shortened by the thinning of the points.

The operation of the machine can be improved and the mentioned difiiculties avoided entirely by provision of a different means of mounting the loopers 39 from that previously described.

Thus, instead of placing and mounting the looper 39' so it will rock throughout its travel in the same plane as the looper 49 on the same side of the needle it serves, the looper 39 may be located in advance of the needle (referring to the movement of the cloth backing material) and in position to move alongside of, and to touch, the needle so as to catch the yarn as the needle reciprocates vertically (without tilting) and as the looper 39' rocks.

After having passed the position for catching the yarn from the needle, the looper 39' is operated to move obliquely out of the plane in which it has been rocking, which was also the plane in which the cut pile loopers rock. (The out pile loopers 49, as before, rock in parallel planes perpendicular to the needle bank throughout their travel.) The oblique movement is for the purpose of carrying the points of loopers 3% out of the path of the points of loopers 49 as the loopers approach the place of their nearest proximity, and, hence, to avoid interference ofthe cut-pile looper points with the loop-pile looper points.

The paths of the loopers with reference to the tilted and untilted positions of the needle are diagrammatically illustrated in FIGURE 16 from which it can be seen that the lateral shifting of the loopers 39 avoids interference with the cut-pile loopers 49.

To cause such oblique movement, the mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 may be used to cause axial movement of the looper-supporting shaft 3i) while the loopers 39 on arms 37 are being oscillated by the oscillation of shaft 30 on which they are mounted.

An auxiliary shaft 90 parallel to shaft 30' is mounted in the machine frame and is rocked by one or more radial arms 91 affixed to shaft 9t) and connected by an arm 92 to a conventional eccentric cam on the main shaft 20 (not shown in FIG. 9, but as shown in FIG. 1). On auxiliary shaft is a radial arm 93 having a slot 93s through which a pin 93p passes and connects with one end of a vertical arm 94. The upper end of arm 94 has a pin-and-slot connection 94p, 95s with the end of one leg of an L-shaped member 5. The base of the L-member is pivotally mounted on the machine frame beneath the table 19 while the end of the other leg 95' of the L-member is pivotally connected by a pin 95p to one end 96 of an adjustable link whose other end 97 is pivotally connected by a stud pin 98 extending from a block 99 afiixed to the looper-supporting shaft 30'.

Thus, rocking motion of the auxiliary shaft 9% is transmitted to the L-member 95 (which moves in a plane parallel to the axis of shaft 30') to the connecting link 96, 97 and block 99 which, in turn, moves the shaft 30, axially. At the same time, the shaft 36' is also being rocked about its axis, circumferentially, by arm 33 and connecting rod 34, as in FIG. 1. The resultant of the axial and circumferential rockings is an oblique motion of the loopers 3?.

The amount of axial movement of the looper-supporting shaft 34) is slight since it is only necessary to move the loopers 39' laterally enough to move out of the planes in which the corresponding cut pile loopers are rocking.

The loopers move back obliquely, also, in equal amount on reverse rocking of the shaft.

Many modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific form and arrangement described and illustrated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tufting machine, a bank of yarn-carrying needles, means to reciprocate said needle bank, two banks of loopers to form pile of different characteristics, each bank having a looper adapted to cooperate with each needle, said loopers being rockably mounted forwardly of and rearwardly of the needle with respect to the direction of work movement, a plurality of needle holding means movably mounted on said reciprocating means and each holding a group of one or more needles, means adapted to act selectively as the needle bank descends to move said needle holding means individually and selectively to determine which of the two loopers that cooperate with each needle shall catch and retain the yarn, and means to shift one of said banks of loopers laterally with respect to the direction of work movement as said bank rocks.

2. In a tufting machine, a bank of yarn-carrying needles, means to reciprocate said needle bank, a first looper to form uncut pile and means including a second looper and a cutter to form cut pile cooperating with each needle, means to rockably mount one looper forwardly and one looper rearwardly of each needle with respect to the direction of work movement, needle holding means movably mounted on said reciprocating means and holding a group of one or more needles, means adapted to act selectively as the needle bank descends to move said needle holding means individually and selectively, thereby to determine which of said two loopers shall catch the yarn, and means to shift said first loopers laterally with respect to the direction of work movement as they rock.

3. In a tufting machine, a bank of yarn-carrying needles, means to reciprocate said needle bank, two banks of loopers to form pile of different characteristics, each bank having a looper adapted to cooperate with each needle, said loopers being rockably mounted forwardly of and rearwardly of the needle with respect to the direction of work movement, a plurality of needle holding means movably mounted on said reciprocating means and each holding a group of one or more needles, means adapted to act selectively as the needle bank descends to move said needle holding means individually and selectively to determine which of the two looper that cooperate with each needle shall catch and retain the yarn, and mechanism to shift one of said banks of loopers laterally with respect to the direction of work movement as said bank rocks comprising means operating in timed relation to the rocking of said laterally shiftable loopers, and means translating the motion of said timed operating means into lateral motionof said laterally shiftable looper bank.

4. In a tufting machine, a bank of yarn-carrying needles, means to reciprocate said needle bank, two banks of loopers toform pile of different characteristics, each bank having a looper adapted to cooperate with each needle, said loopers being rockably mounted forwardly of and rearwardly of the needle with respect to the direction of Work movement, a plurality of needle holding means movably mounted on said reciprocating mean and each holding a group of one or more needles, means adapted to act selectively as the needle bank descends to move said needle holding means individually and selectively to determine which of the two loopers that cooperate with each needle shall catch and retain the yarn, and mechanism to shift one of said banks of loopers laterally with respect to the direction of Work movement as said bank rocks comprising a shaft operating in timed relation to the rocking 8 of said laterally shiftable loopers, and means translating the motion of said shaft into lateral motion of said laterally hiftable looper bank.

5. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the translating means comprises an-arm on said shaft and alinkage connecting said arm and said laterally shiftable looper bank.

6. A tnfting machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein the looper bank is supported upon an oscillating shaft, and

said linkage translates the motion of said arm into axial motion of said looper-supporting shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner" UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,260,896 10/41 Goodman et al. 112-79 2,785,643 3/57 Mitchell --.j 112-79 2,879,729 3/59 McCutchen 112 -79 2,990,792 7/61 Nowicki et al. 112-79.6

RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner. 

1. IN A TUFTING MACHINE, A BANK OF YARN-CARRYING NEEDLES, MEANS TO RECIPROCATE SAID NEEDLE BANK, TWO BANKS OF LOOPERS TO FORM PILE OF DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS, EACH BANK HAVING A LOOPER ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH EACH NEEDLE, SAID LOOPERS BEING ROCKABLY MOUNTED FORWARDLY OF AND REARWARDLY OF THE NEEDLE WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF WORK MOVEMENT, A PLURALITY OF NEEDLE HOLDING MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID RECIPROCATING MEANS AND EACH HOLDING A GROUP OF ONE OR MORE NEEDLES, MEANS ADAPTED TO ACT SELECTIVELY AS THE NEEDLE BANK DESCENDS TO MOVE SAID NEEDLE HOLDING MEANS INDIVIDUALLY AND SELECTIVELY TO DETERMINE WHICH OF THE TWO LOOPERS THAT COOPERATE WITH EACH NEEDLE SHALL CATCH AND RETAIN THE YARN, AND MEANS TO SHIFT ONE OF SAID BANKS OF LOOPERS LATERALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF WORK MOVEMENT AS SAID BANK ROCKS. 